Beaten granddad was left for dead

PENSIONER Melvyn Winnard was beaten so badly after a night out he was forced to crawl home in a pool of his own blood.

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A GRANDDAD was beaten so badly after a night out he was forced to crawl home only to collapse in a pool of his own blood.

Pensioner Melvyn Winnard, 67, was set upon in an alleyway off Queensway, Clifton, on Monday night.

The alley was unlit so Melvyn didn't see who attacked him.

The retired foundry worker was knocked unconscious and the next thing he knew he was lying in his own blood.

Barely able to move, Melvyn managed to pull himself up enough from the ground to crawl from the alley to his house a minute or two away.

He lay bleeding in devastating pain overnight, falling in and out of consciousness and in the morning Melvyn managed to call an ambulance and was rushed into Hope Hospital.

He suffered damage to his lungs, a broken nose and ribs and has had stitches all over his face.

Melvyn had been out drinking with friends at the Nelson pub on Bolton Road and decided to walk down the alley at around 11.30pm to cut his journey home.

He was assaulted opposite the Holyrood Nursery. Police say he was attacked from behind and it is unclear if a weapon was used

Melvyn said: "I woke up covered in blood. I was in agony and couldn't pick myself up but I thought I've got to get home. I don't know how I managed to get home but I did.

"My daughters and grandchildren have been so upset. My daughter Mandy has been weeping. They don't want to see me like this, I don't want to be like this.

"The worst thing of all is that I don't know who did this. I wish someone would come forward and say who did this, but they won't, they'll be too afraid to."

Melvyn, of Balmoral Road, said Clifton is plagued by anti-social youths who binge drink and then prey on people.

He added: "It's notorious for gangs round here. It's not even like they wanted my money. I had £30 in my back pocket and a credit card, they never even looked for that. It was just senseless violence."

Brother Derek Winnard, 69, said: "We are all really worried about him. I'll be getting on to the council and asking them to get that ginnel lit and some CCTV down there. There's no way anyone could see an attacker coming, and we don't want anyone else to end up like this."